Private nonprofit · University

Pacific University

Forest Grove, Oregon · Large suburb

89.6%
Admit rate
$35,273
Avg net price
67%
Graduation rate
$60,583
Median earnings

Pacific University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Forest Grove, Oregon (large suburb setting), enrolling 1,516 undergraduates.

Private nonprofitSmall · 1,516 undergradsLarge suburbAccessible · 90% admitNCAA Division III with football · Northwest Conference

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Pacific University's admitted students.

Admit rate
89.6%
SAT (mid 50%)
900–1240
Avg GPA (est.)
3.13

Enter a test score to see where you land against Pacific University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Pacific University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Forest Grove, Oregon

Forest Grove is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States, 25 miles (40 km) west of Portland, within the Tualatin Valley. In 1841, Alvin T. and Abigail Smith were among the earliest to use the Oregon Trail and settled on what was first known as West Tualatin Plain. They overwintered with Henry Harmon Spalding, arriving in what is now Forest Grove in the fall. There are 12 properties individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places and two historic districts: the 18-block Clark Historic District with homes dating as far back as 1854 (and several dozen pre-1900) and the Painter's Woods Historic District. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large suburb
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
21 miles to Portland, OR
To the ocean
38 miles
Nearest airport
25 miles to Portland (PDX) · major hub

How Pacific University compares

Selectivity89.6%

More selective than 25% · #15 most selective of 23 in Oregon

SAT average1090

Higher than 27%

Graduation rate67%

Higher than 72% · #9 of 22 in Oregon

First-year retention79%

Higher than 61%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$60,583

Higher than 69% · #10 of 24 in Oregon

Average net price$35,273

Cheaper than 9% · #19 cheapest of 21 in Oregon

Median debt at graduation$23,223

Lower than 51%

Student–faculty ratio10 : 1

Lower than 76%

Undergraduate enrollment1,516

Larger than 50%

Percentiles compare Pacific University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Oregon.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

3,354students
  • Undergraduate1,51645%
  • Graduate1,83855%

Undergraduates by gender

1,516undergrads
  • Women91961%
  • Men59739%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White42%
  • Black2.7%
  • Hispanic20%
  • Asian13%
  • Other or multiracial22%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
1,516
Graduate enrollment
1,838
Student–faculty ratio
10 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
28%
First-generation students
29%
Students over 25
8%
Median family income
$64,458
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$82,161
Endowment
$64,811,367

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 400 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Oregon39%
  • Other U.S. states61%
  • International0.7%

A national draw — only 39% of first-years come from Oregon; 61% arrive from other states.

1% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
89.6%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
900–1240
SAT average
1090
SAT reading
480–630
SAT math
420–610
ACT composite
18–29
Average GPA (estimated)
3.13

Cost

In-state tuition
$56,374
Room & board
$15,620
Books & supplies
$1,050
Total cost of attendance
$72,374
Average net price
$35,273

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
67%
Graduated on time (4 years)
55%
First-year retention
79%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$46,936
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$60,583
Median debt at graduation
$23,223
Students with federal loans
81%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
71%

About 12% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
55%
Low-income (Pell)
65%
First-generation
69%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
1,048
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
69%
Housing charge (year)
$8,290
Meal plan (year)
$6,768
Application fee
$40
Athletics
NCAA Division III with football
Football conference
Northwest Conference
Varsity athletes
721 (451 men · 270 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (15)

Football133
Basketball92
Track and Field (Outdoor)82
Track and Field (Indoor)81
Soccer68
Baseball58
Softball35
Volleyball32
Wrestling31
Cross Country26
Tennis22
Golf17
Lacrosse17
Rowing16
Swimming11

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
1.9 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
9
Property offenses (2022–2024)
10

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (3,427 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

6.3reported offenses a year
3.0 violent a year3.3 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
2.3
Arson
2.3
Robbery
0.7
Motor vehicle theft
0.7
Burglary
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$23,318
$30–48k
$23,607
$48–75k
$29,844
$75–110k
$34,369
$110k+
$40,911

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$127,309

$29,844/year × about 4.3 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

97%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$32,593
average award, among those who get one

Pacific University discounts heavily: 97% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $32,593. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 392 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$60,583
Typical debt at graduation
$23,223
Debt vs. one year's pay
38%
Out-earn a HS grad
60%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.8 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$58,071
Men
$66,986

Men out-earn women by $8,915 (15%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
82°F
Winter low
33°F
Annual rain
46.7″
Annual snow
2.7″

Average temperature

HighLow
20°60°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.04.38.7JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Forest Grove, OR US station (0.4 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Pacific University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Pacific University side by side →

Colleges near Pacific University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.